These pictures have me really worried. Do the Madisonians give these little ducks a winter house and some food and water when it freezes over soon? They don't seem interested in flying south. You could ship them to the U. of Oregon.

Gabriel...There is this a little matter of the Siberian Express in Wisconsin. Doesn't Eugene keep its Pacific Ocean influence that moderates temperatures? But Wisconsin is still better than Alaska where a furnace going out during a storm means death. I also believe that you can only see Canada from Wisconsin.

"WASHINGTON -- Somehow, it's become fashionable to think that high-speed trains connecting major cities will help "save the planet." They won't. They're a perfect example of wasteful spending masquerading as a respectable social cause. They would further burden already overburdened governments and drain dollars from worthier programs -- schools, defense, research.

Let's suppose that the Obama administration gets its wish to build high-speed rail systems in 13 urban corridors. The administration has already committed $10.5 billion, and that's just a token down payment. California wants about $19 billion for an 800-mile track from Anaheim to San Francisco. Constructing all 13 corridors could easily approach $200 billion. Most (or all) of that would have to come from government at some level. What would we get for this huge investment?

Not much. Here's what we wouldn't get: any meaningful reduction in traffic congestion, greenhouse gas emissions, air travel, oil consumption or imports. Nada, zip. If you can do fourth-grade math, you can understand why."